All In The Game: THE REWRITE
by The Bloody Countess
Summary: Rukawa and Sendoh are two of Kanagawa's biggest rivals in the world of basketball. However, something happens that intensifies their rivalry into one that is off the court as well. And it happens in the form of a girl. An edit of one of my old fics.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimers:** I don't own Slam Dunk or the characters. They are all property of Takehiko Inoue. This fanfic is merely for your enjoyment.

**Notes:** Ladies and gentlemen, a lot has changed since I first wrote this fic and I'm quite thankful that I actually took time off and stopped writing so I could re-examine myself. Reading the chapters now (and thoroughly cringing to think that I had written all of that) makes me realize that I wasn't putting much effort into really developing the characters well enough here. And quite frankly, my tastes have changed A WHOLE LOT. I've decided to give Malena an entire re-write as well, editing out things about her that I feel now are a bit TOO unnecessary. However, this fic IS still centered on the Rukawa-Sendoh rivalry, so hopefully, I will not be deviating too much as I attempt to REALLY bring this fic to a close. :)

**Some Spoilers:** This is a bit of an AU fic in the sense that I have decided to keep Akagi and Kogure on the team and that their game against Sannoh at the Interhigh has catapulted them into a more famous spotlight. There will be a lot of random appearances from the story's characters as well as characters I've made to make Malena a more believable character in the SD world. After which, I will be taking the team of Shohoku on a little sojourn that they, themselves, will not be expecting. ;D

Enjoy!

**PROLOGUE - Anzai-sensei's Announcement**

Shohoku was now officially one of the teams to beat in all of Japan. After the Interhigh match where they had come out the unexpected victors in the fight against Sannoh Tech, people on the streets of Kanagawa Prefecture were now cheering on the students. Even the students of Kainan and Shoyo had to admire Shohoku for their indomitable spirit and fierce determination to win. Even now, middle-schoolers were already deciding to transfer to Shohoku just so they could watch the famed basketball team play. Other middle-school MVP's were already eager to be trained under the watchful eye of Anzai-sensei, the beloved basketball team's coach.

After proving their strength, Anzai decided that in the weeks to come, training had to be doubled - even tripled - so the boys could realize their full potential. No one was quite certain if Shohoku had given a hundred percent or just eighty in their last few games, this much he was certain of.

But he knew he needed more help now than ever. And perhaps, it was time that his team learned to see the game from the eyes of someone other than their coach.

And that person was probably going to challenge his boys harder than he would ever dare to.

* * *

"I suppose Sakuragi's about done with his rehab," Ryouta Miyagi mused as he walked to the gymnasium along with his other teammates. Hisashi Mitsui snorted. 

"Knowing him, I'm pretty sure he gave the nurses a hard time again," he replied, although his proud smile betrayed his sarcastic words. _'That moron...' _He let his thoughts wander as he surveyed the new freshmen players who were walking behind them, who were looking both nervous and eager at the same time.

_'That moron saved our game...'_

Kiminobu Kogure smiled as he caught up to Mitsui's strides. "Sakuragi has always been able to lift up our spirits, ne, Mitsui? I hope he'll be well enough to play in our next games. It would be a shame to start a new season without his tensai skills."

The 'tensai' remark made Ryouta giggle. Mitsui broke into a grin and chuckled as well. "He never lets up. He ALWAYS thinks he's a tensai, Kogure."

Kogure smiled. "Aa...yes, that he does... But you have to admit, he really IS a fast learner. I've never seen anyone absorb so many drills and lessons in a such a short span of time."

As they approached the gym, they heard an excited Ayako babbling to Coach Anzai. Akagi had already gone in ahead and was standing just outside the doors. Mitsui noticed the strange look on Akagi's face and immediately, a nervous feeling rolled around in his gut. _'What the hell is wrong with Akagi?'_

"Hey, Akagi-senpai, why're you out here?" Miyagi asked, his brows furrowing.

"I'm waiting for everyone to assemble. Anzai-sensei has an announcement to make," came the stoic reply.

"Well, it can't be THAT bad, can it, Akagi?" Kogure said, trying his best to sound reassuring, most especially to the new club applicants who were standing to one side with worried looks on their faces.

_'Whatever Anzai-sensei has to say can't be THAT bad, can it?'_

_

* * *

_

"Ah, you're already on the way to the airport?" Anzai pressed his ear to his cellphone and then chuckled. "Good, good. Ohohoho! I'm quite anxious to see you."

He paused and turned his back for a few minutes while the team watched him, huddled on the floor and whispering nervously amongst themselves. Just who was it that Anzai-sensei was talking to?

"Yes, I have no doubt you will like it here in Japan, most especially in Kanagawa. Hohohoho!"

More chattering was faintly heard on the cellphone before Coach Anzai decided to say goodbye. Turning off his cellphone, he turned once again to face the team and smiled.

"Boys, I have two important announcements to make, both of them concerning this team."

Everyone looked at him expectantly as he continued.

"First off, Sakuragi-kun phoned me this morning and the hospital is finally discharging him."

All of the older team members except for Rukawa whooped and cheered. Akagi merely smiled. It was about damn time that redhead came back. And he was going to be in for some VERY hard training to make up for his lost time.

He growled when he noticed their coach holding up a hand for quiet and none had listened. "Everyone! Stop blabbering and listen to what Anzai-sensei has to say!"

"Secondly, minna-san - and this is very important..." the old man cleared his throat before he continued. "My granddaughter from America is arriving early in the morning tomorrow and will be here to help coach this team in the next games. I have asked her specifically to help train everyone to bring out their true potential."

No sooner had he said those words that everyone on the team started whispering amongst themselves. Did anybody know that Anzai-sensei had a granddaughter? If so, how old was she? Was she really from America? Was she qualified to train them all?

It was Mitsui who then decided to speak up for the team. "Sensei," he said, not wanting to sound too rude to his mentor. "What is your granddaughter like?"

Anzai smiled. "You all have no clue? Hohoho! That's good then, Mitsui-kun. You will all have to wait and see instead."

_Just wait and see..._

...to be continued...


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE - An Expected Visitor**

Shohoku High was a school full of strange and interesting characters. But none were as interesting as the Sakuragi Gundan, the legendary four who backed up the school's most infamous student, Sakuragi Hanamichi, the self-proclaimed Tensai. They were feared for the number of brawls they had gotten into and won but at the same time, people just couldn't seem to do without their liveliness inside the school grounds.

And boy were they rowdier today, what with the return of their beloved leader...

"Hanamichi!" Ookuso, Takamiya and Noma chorused as they successively glomped the tall rebounder who had just entered Shohoku High, causing him to fall over the hedges.

"OOF! Teme! Get off of me, baka-tachi! This tensai just got out of rehab and you're trying to send me back there!"

Yohei laughed good-naturedly. "Oh don't worry about it, Hanamichi. We all missed you, especially the baskteball team."

Hanamichi Sakuragi's ears perked up when he heard that and immediately stood up proudly. "That's because they know they can't survive without this tensai! Nyahahahahaha!"

The Sakuragi Gundan sweatdropped.

"Maybe that fall did something to his head too," Takamiya muttered.

Ookuso shook his head. "Nope, nope. He's always been delusional from day one."

Noma and Yohei nodded in agreement. "Hai..."

"TEME!" Growling, Hanamichi launched himself at all of them.

A cloud of dust started to form when, in true troublemaker fashion, all five members of the Sakuragi Gundan fought and rolled all the way to the gymnasium.

And of course, that was how the team found their star rebounder.

* * *

Kogure jogged up to the Sakuragi Gundan who were sprawled all over the place after Hanamichi had given each of them his trademark headbutt. "Ah...minna, how are all of you?" 

Yohei raised a trembling fist in the air, his eyes swirling. "We're good, Kogure-sempai. Just Hanamichi being his lovable old self," he replied shakily before fainting.

Kogure sweatdropped. _'Sakuragi-kun definitely hasn't changed...' _He turned when he heard a familiar boisterous shout of 'Megane-kun' and he smiled.

"Sakuragi-kun, I'm glad you're back! The team's expecting you!"

Hanamichi puffed up his chest at those words. "Ohohohoho! You missed this tensai, ne, Megane-kun? I toldja I'm immortal!"

The Shohoku Vice-Captain smiled, suddenly remembering the Interhigh and how he had come to join the team in the first place. "Hai, Sakuragi-kun...you're a tensai..."

He put an arm around the taller boy's shoulders and together, they walked to the gym.

"By the way, Sakuragi-kun, Anzai-sensei will be bringing another visitor to the gym today. So we'll have two people to greet."

"Eh? Who could be more important than the tensai?"

Kogure had to laugh.

_Sakuragi, you may very well become the heart and soul of this team in the future... Don't ever give up basketball...

* * *

_

As the car sped through the streets of Kanagawa, Ayako turned to her companion seated beside her and smiled. "I'm pretty happy there will be another girl to babysit this team. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

"I'm already looking forward to it, Ayako-san," came the soft reply.

_Things will be very different for Shohoku from now on.

* * *

_

Anzai walked in accompanied by Ayako. Just before practice was about to begin, the sliding doors opened a notch more and in walked a girl who looked no younger than the freshmen. Collective jaw-dropping followed when they noticed how she actually towered over Anzai at a height estimated to be almost as tall as Rukawa. Her eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses and she wore a baseball cap on her head to hide her hair. She was dressed simply in a white tank top and ripped jeans that sat low on her waist, exposing just a hint of a toned abdomen. On her feet were a pair of Nike cross-trainers.

"Minna, this is my granddaughter," Anzai announced, placing a hand on the girl's forearm. "She just flew in from America and she's here to watch the team practice."

Tall girl bowed low. "Hajimemashite," she intoned. "Glad to meet the team." When she straightened up, she smiled just a little, placing her hands in her jeans pockets.

Mitsui noticed how her forearms flexed with the movement and he realized that this girl probably worked out a lot, judging from the strength in her stance and the way her arms were toned with muscle.

_'Is she an athlete?' _He wondered. It was impossible for her not to be. He didn't know a lot of girls with her height that would just sit around and do nothing.

Hanamichi blinked. "Masaka! She's almost as tall as me, old man! How can girls grow to be THAT tall!"

"How can your hair turn out to be THAT red?" The girl retorted, her sarcastic remark earning a burst of outright guffaws from the Sakuragi Gundan who were watching the practice from a safe distance away lest Hanamichi decide to go postal on them. She turned halfway to face them and waved, her grin growing wider before she turned around to find Hanamichi glaring eye level at her.

"Teme! If you weren't a girl and the old man's family, I'd...I'd..."

"What? Hit me? Ooh, I'm so scared," she taunted, leaning in so her nose was just inches away from his. "I had no idea you could get so easily angered, Red. That's a disgrace to people who share your hair color."

"NANI!"

Anzai was laughing. "Hohohoho! My granddaughter is just teasing you, Sakuragi-kun. She means you no harm," he said reassuringly. He then patted her on the back and gestured for her to introduce herself to the ret of the team.

The girl stepped forward, away from Anzai, and bowed again. "Konnichi wa, minna-san. My name is Maléna Hernandez. I'm 17 years old and I'm from Los Angeles. Pleased to meet you all." She turned to Hanamichi who was still regarding her cautiously and she grinned. "And pleased to know you're a gentleman after all, Sakuragi-kun."

In one swift motion, she removed her baseball cap and her sunglasses, letting shocks of wavy, red hair tumble past her shoulders as the entire team gasped. If looks could kill, everyone knew that she would have been dead in an instant with the glare that Hanamichi sent her way. But instead of fainting dead away, she laughed. "You all look surprised that I have red hair. Did you expect it to be blonde?"

When they didn't answer, Maléna shrugged. "Oh well, red hair isn't very common in the first place." She turned back to her grandfather, a mischievous smile on her face. "You didn't tell me that some of them were cute, Jiiya."

Her words had quite an effect, especially on the newbies who blushed at her compliment even as Anzai laughed. She winked at all of them and gestured to Rukawa and Mitsui. "If I had known you had such cute AND tall guys on your team, Jiiya, I would have ditched the All-Stars and come here instead to study."

"Grrr! And what of me, Red-headed Tall Girl! Is this tensai not cute!" Hanamichi barked.

Everyone facefaulted as he marched over to Maléna. He pointed a finger at her and growled. "I'm ten times handsomer than that Kitsune and Micchy! I'm a tensai besides! Tensais are born handsome! What're YOU trying to tell me, huh? That I'm NOT handsome?"

Reaching up to ruffle his cropped hair, a gesture that somehow made Akagi Haruko's chest tighten just a little bit, Maléna grinned. "Iie... I think you're adorable, Sakuragi-CHAN. Like my labrador back home."

"NANI? Don't call me 'CHAN'! And I DO NOT look like a labrador, you...you..." The taller redhead's eyes grew round as he choked and sputtered and tried to think of a suitable comeback. In the background, the rest of his teammates vainly tried to hold back their laughter.

Haruko glanced at Fuji and Matsui, her two friends and she frowned slightly. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with her being so friendly like that to the entire team," she said. In truth, she was also bothered at how chummy this new girl was with Sakuragi-kun and how she seemed to be openly...flirting with him.

Matsui shrugged. "I didn't even think she was allowed to do that, but she looks harmless," she replied, wanting to give this Maléna character the benefit of the doubt.

"Sumimasen, Maléna-san...did you just mention the All-Stars?" Akagi asked, his brows furrowing as he stared at her. _'There's something awfully FAMILIAR about this girl...'_

Maléna nodded, her eyes lighting up. "Yup. I did mention the All-Stars, big guy. What would you know of that?"

Frantically, Akagi flipped through the basketball magazine he had in his hand that he had, until now, forgotten. The rest of the team's curiosity had been thoroughly piqued and they huddled around Akagi even as both Anzai and Maléna sat down on the sidelines.

"THERE!" Akagi cried triumphantly as he pointed to one page of the magazine showing Maléna posing in a basketball jersey. "You-you're Maléna Hernandez! You're on the All-American Women's Basketball Team!" He looked up at the girl with wide eyes. "I can't believe it! YOU'RE sensei's granddaughter!"

A chorus of shouts followed as they converged around their Captain. It seemed too good to be true that Anzai-sensei's grandchild was actually a basketball celebrity in America.

Anzai chuckled and turned to his granddaughter, even as Rukawa stared at them in stunned silence. "Hohohoho! I told you they would find out sooner or later, child."

Miyagi's mouth opened and closed as he snatched the magazine from Akagi's trembling hands. He read the article aloud to everyone in the gym.

"There's a new storm coming to the All-American Women's Basketball League and it comes in the form of a half-Japanese, half-Spanish redhead by the name of Maléna Hernandez. At 17, she's the second youngest player in the league and considered a basketball prodigy.

"Already the American Press has labeled her the Darling of the Hardcourt while here in Japan, we call her the Basketball Princess. Before she came to the League, she had made her debut at the Junior Goodwill Games, scoring an impressive 25 points per game plus an average of 11 assists, and 16 rebounds, earning her a triple-double at the young age of 15 - enough to clinch a Gold Medal... Oh my god! She's a pro!" Miyagi gawked.

"Holy shit..." Mitsui swore under his breath as he re-read the entire article over Miyagi's shoulder before he grabbed and flipped the magazine over to confirm that the girl in the picture was REALLY Maléna. _'Red hair...green eyes...'_

"HOLY MOTHER OF -- " He looked at Maléna and then back at the magazine. "You're really her!" He had heard of that moniker before but he had never really remembered who was the Basketball Princess that had suddenly become a whispered name amongst fans and league officials alike.

"In the flesh," the girl replied, standing up and smiling widely. "Honestly, I didn't think you guys would even think of trying to find out who I am. Although now that you have, it really can't be helped."

In a flash, everyone was on their feet and bowing. Over several loud introductions of names, Anzai raised his hands for quiet. "Maa, maa...let's not be too nervous, minna. Léna-chan is here to befriend you, not to frighten you."

Yasuda was one of the first to protest - albeit faintly. "Demo...Anzai-sensei...she's a professional and it's quite embarrassing to just -"

" - It's perfectly fine," Maléna interjected smoothly, patting Yasuda on the shoulder, still smiling. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves? I play small forward. How about you?"

"Ah...My name is Yasuda Yasuharo. I substitute for Miyagi-kun as point guard," the slight boy stammered out as he nervously shook Maléna's hand. She smiled encouragingly at him.

"Nice to meet you, Yasuda-kun."

Miyagi was up next. "I'm Miyagi Ryota. I play point guard for the team and I'm to be the next Captain."

"Nice to meet ya, Shorty," Maléna replied, giving him another wink. When Miyagi's eyes grew round and he started sputtering at that nickname, she laughed. "I'm kidding, Miyagi-kun. It's nice to meet you. And be ready to face a lot more responsibilities as Captain."

When Mitsui came up to her, she tilted her head to the side and shook his hand, her green eyes dancing with humor. "Well, hello there, handsome. What's your handle?"

"Mitsui Hisashi. I'm the shooting guard of the team," the scarred teen replied, blushing a little under Maléna's intense stare as he fumbled for the right words to define her personality and the way she so casually talked to them. "I have to say you're very...frank for a girl... and very pretty, Maléna-san," he remarked, surveying her up close for the first time and finding that her beauty was definitely the kind that would send male hearts over the moon.

"It's Léna...and thank you for the compliment. I don't often hear that back in the US," she replied, still smiling even as she slowly extricated her hands from Mitsui's lingering grasp. She looked over at Hanamichi. "And boy do I know YOU already, Red. What's your position on the team?"

"HAH! You know nothing about me, Tall Girl!" Hanamichi declared, rising up to his full height. "I may have just gotten back from rehab but I'm a tensai! And I'm this team's secret weapon! But you may call me the King of Rebounds! Nyahahahaha!"

Maléna snickered as she glanced over at her grandfather with an amused and altogether knowing look. "Nice to know this one's pretty spirited, Jiiya. What does the canteen feed him? Hormones?"

"NANI! Hora! Tall Girl, you're starting to get on my nerves!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, which she knew wasn't very mature, but there was something about Sakuragi that quickly endeared him to her and she knew without a doubt that if they became close enough, she would protect him with her very life. "You're just like someone I know, Red. Always losing it at the slightest provocation. Maybe you need to chew down on some ice first?"

"ARGH!" Hanamichi threw down the towel he was twisting and stomped over to Anzai, proceeding to play with his double chin and belly as he always did when he wanted to tell Anzai that his opinion as a tensai was to be respected. "Oi! Old man, this girl doesn't act like you! How is it possible that you're related?" he demanded, ignoring the pleas of Kogure and Yasuda to stop 'disrespecting' the coach and his granddaughter.

Maléna quickly fended off Hanamichi's hands from her grandfather, her green eyes flashing as she glared at him. "Why don't you mind your own business and stop bothering him! If you can't take my teasing, you're really just a kid, Red!"

"Why you..."

It was Kogure who rushed in to prevent any more bloodshed as he stepped in between the two. "Maa, maa...Maléna-san, why don't I introduce you to the other members of the team? I'm Kogure Kiminobu, the Vice-Captain of the team." He gestured to the others. "This is Kakuta, this is Mirai, this is Ishii, this is Tashiro...and this is Akagi-kun, our Team Captain and center for the team."

Having forgotten Hanamichi - who was currently being held back by the Sakuragi Gundan in the background - Maléna bowed low for the tall senior. "I apologize for my rudeness to your players, Captain Akagi," she said. "I'll admit that I was overwhelmed at first when Jiiya asked me to help him coach this team, but I'm now quite excited and fired up to do what I can to help you make it to the Nationals and win."

Akagi was taken aback by the gesture of humility and he bowed to Maléna as well. "It's perfectly fine, Maléna-san. I would not expect much from Sakuragi where propriety is concerned."

"WHAT! GORI! I'M THE DEVIL OF PROPRIETY!" Hanamichi screamed, prying himself away from his friends only to be held back this time by Mitsui and Miyagi.

"However," Akagi continued, trying extremely hard to ignore the protests and angry ranting of Shohoku's rebounder, "the rest of the team assures you of our full cooperation and respect. A person with the kind of credentials you have earned will most likely be able to help us reach our goal of finally becoming National Champion. He then turned to Rukawa, who was standing at a distance from them and was looking at Maléna with the same bored and detached look that she noticed earlier.

"Rukawa, please introduce yourself to Sensei's granddaughter."

Rukawa nodded to his sempai and stepped forward, accepting the outstretched hand that Maléna offered him. "Rukawa Kaede. Small Forward. Hajimemashite..."

"You're a man of few words, Fox," Maléna retorted, smiling as she shook his hand. She felt Rukawa tense up and her grin grew wider. "I see you don't like being called that, so I'll stick to Rukawa."

When he looked up at her, his eyes widened by a fraction and he was startled that for the first time, he actually noticed how _beautiful_ she looked up close. He wanted to say that Mitsui-sempai was wrong to call her pretty because she was more than that. Her hair fell around her face and past her shoulders in molten waves of fiery red. Her face looked like it had been made of alabaster, smooth and fair without any blemishes, except for maybe three freckles that dotted the skin under her left eye. Her high cheekbones were perfectly balanced by an elegant Grecian nose that was slightly upturned at the end to hint a bit of her youthfulness. Even her eyebrows were delicately-winged and immediately drew his attention to the most startling pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life:

Her eyes were a deep, emerald green that had flecks of silver in them so that at certain angles, they looked grey. They were fringed by long eyelashes and everytime she blinked, it was as if her eyes were being veiled from the world. Deep-set and almond shaped, it was her eyes that made her look like she didn't belong in this universe, almost like she was another kind of entity. His gaze drifted down to her lips, lingering on the tiny mole that was on the corner of her upper lip and for what seemed like eternity, he just stared. Just when he was about to take another small step towards her, he heard a voice in his head that sounded eerily like hers.

"Careful, Rukawa...you're drooling..."

He snapped out of his trance, only to find Maléna smirking at him as if she had already expected this would happen. Immediately, he released her hand as if her touch burned him and he turned away. _'Kuso...'_

Maléna was going to be a VERY BIG distraction and he knew it.

Ignoring what had just happened, Maléna looked around and surveyed the group of teenaged boys clustered around her on the floor. She took one look at Anzai, who smiled encouragingly and then she clapped her hands for attention.

"YOSH! Let's get started boys!" She yelled, breaking the tension that hung in the air. "We're going to the Nationals this season!"

"HAI!" Team Shohoku yelled at the top of their lungs, suddenly filled with new vigor as Maléna's eyes glowed fiercely with determination.

As everyone started their warm-ups, Anzai smiled.

This was going to be an interesting season...

...to be continued...


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO - Here, Have a Warm-up**

"Shohoku! Assemble!" Akagi's voice boomed throughout the sparse gym.

Very quickly, all team members, including the neophytes stood in line. Ayako stood on the sidelines, clipboard in hand as she re-read all the statistics and basic information of the new members. A brief smile touched her lips. A lot of the young ones seemed to have more potential and she was already getting more excited to see them all through training.

"Hohohoho! We seem to have a lot of enthusiastic players this season. Ne, Ayako-san?" Anzai chuckled as he neared the pretty manager.

"Hai, sensei! And with Léna-chan to help with the training, I'm quite sure she'll whip them into shape," Ayako replied, eyeing the younger girl who was currently warming up on the floor with various stretches.

From the corner of his eye, Rukawa noticed the graceful curves of Maléna's arms as she bent forward, letting her forehead touch her knees as she reached out to grasp the soles of her shoes. His eyes widened a fraction when she suddenly shifted out of her stretch, spread her legs into a split position and continued her stretching. The track pants she had on seemed to do very little to hide the definition in her leg muscles.

Mitsui let out a low whistle. "Whoa! Now THAT'S definitely something I can't do," he remarked, shaking his head in awe. A resounding whack on his head as well as on all the others' heads brought him back to attention and he growled at Ayako who was tapping her infamous paper fan against her palm.

"Teme! You're doing that to your sempai, Ayako?"

The manager blew a curly strand of hair away from her face and raised an eyebrow. "It's not polite to stare like that at a girl, sempai," she simply replied. Mitsui rolled his eyes, suppressing a laugh when he saw that Miyagi had been whacked on the head JUST a tad bit harder than everyone else. _'Heh. Looks like someone's a little jealous.'_

When Maléna had finished her stretching, she got up and walked to towards the team, smiling. This afternoon she was dressed in a simple white shirt with sleeves that had been cut off and her black track pants. On her feet she wore the same blue Nike cross-trainers and her red hair was swept away from her face in a ponytail. This change in hairstyle allowed everyone to get an even better glimpse of her beauty and every minute or two, the senior players noticed that the freshmen would be shamelessly staring at her with their lips slightly parted.

"Okay, boys, are you ready for the warm-up?" She yelled. A chorus of shouts followed and she nodded. "Good to know you guys are enthusiastic. Now," she gave them all a teasing look. "I know this is going to be an altogether new experience to be coached by a girl..." A few of the team members laughed and she snerked. "Yes, yes, it IS funny, but Jiiya here has told me of how unconventional this team is, so try to get used to my ugly mug from now on."

"Oh, will I ever..." A freshman by the name of Ishikawa Subaru sighed breathily, his eyes glazing over as he stared at Maléna.

Rukawa watched her from underneath coal-black bangs, observing how purposeful her strides were and how there seemed to be a sort of defiance in the way she tilted her chin, hinting that underneath the confident exterior, she was as headstrong and as fiery-tempered as her red hair.

Even with her intimidating background, it seemed that no one could stop talking about her after she had formally introduced herself yesterday...

* * *

"I suppose it's her eyes," Mitsui commented after practice as soon as they hit the showers. "They're quite rare, especially since she's only half-gaijin. I've never seen a deeper shade of green." 

Kogure nodded his agreement. "You have to admit, she's very beautiful, especially when she smiles." He looked very thoughtful as he scrubbed himself down and let the water run down his back. "I just have to wonder why Anzai-sensei never mentioned anything about her."

"I didn't really have any idea that Sensei had family outside of Japan," Miyagi added. "He just seems pretty reclusive about his personal life..."

Akagi sighed as he sat on the bench in his shorts, drying himself off. "If you really want to know, guys, Sensei had one daughter named Akiko. From the way that his wife only talked to me about her when he wasn't there, I pretty much guessed they didn't always get along, him and his child. And then she left..."

"No kidding, Gori! The old man actually had a kid who ran away?"

Glaring at the redheaded boy before throwing his hands up in surrender, Akagi nodded. "That's what I was told. She went to America and never came back..."

"For someone who's had that kind of animosity with his daughter, Sensei seems to dote over Maléna pretty much," Mitsui remarked, strolling out of the cubicles with a towel around his waist. He leaned against the locker and was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Do you suppose there's more to Sensei's family that meets the eye?"

Miyagi shrugged, although he was definitely curious now about this new relative of their coach. He wasn't exactly sure if Maléna was for real or not. She just looked TOO different from Anzai to be his grandchild, but blood is thicker than water, as the saying so goes.

"I bet her dad's genes are responsible for her red hair," said Hanamichi.

"Oh WOW...you grew a brain, Sakuragi," Mitsui drawled, earning snickers from everyone in the locker room.

"Baka Micchy! SHUTUP!"

"They taught you that in rehab, too? What else did they do aside from giving you a brain implant?" Mitsui teased, causing laughter to erupt in the room when Hanamichi snapped his towel at him - which he quickly dodged. After that, even Akagi couldn't keep anyone quiet as everyone laughingly twisted their towels into whips and started snapping at each other while running around the room in nothing but their shorts.

As everyone else fooled around, Rukawa stood, rigid under the showers hearing nothing except the pounding of his heart. _'Why? Why am I suddenly feeling like my chest is going to explode?'_ He braced himself against the wall, sighing quietly. At first he had thought that Maléna would flinch under his gaze or even refuse to shake his hand, but she had been the first to say hello and had even teased him.

When he shook her hand, he remembered that her skin had been very warm, and although there were calluses on her hands, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from how delicately-tapered her fingers were. Her voice was a rich mezzo-soprano that seemed to soothe his frayed nerves and sang through him like a sudden bolt of lightning.

_Why her? Why now?_

He didn't understand why his heart seemed to flutter queerly the moment he held her hand in his. And he certainly didn't want to be distracted. But every now and then, images of her lovely green eyes and her smooth skin and fiery red hair came back with more force.

_Why?_

* * *

"I beg your pardon, Rukawa?" 

He snapped out of his trance and blinked. Maléna was looking at him, one pretty eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms over her chest. Panic flooded him momentarily when he realized that he had spoken out loud.

"Are you questioning the drill I've given you?" she asked, her tone suddenly taking on a serious edge. He shook his head.

Immediately, the light was back in her eyes and she stepped away from them. "Okay, it seems like some of you spaced out, so I'll repeat everything I just said," she declared, giving Ayako a sidelong glance when she noticed the team manager was holding back her giggles. It was then that Rukawa realized that half of the team hadn't been paying much attention to what she was saying and were all too busy staring at her.

"For each and every day of practice for an entire week, I want each of you to nail 500 shots."

That got their attention. Several members gasped. The neophytes whispered frantically among themselves as they thought of the sheer insanity of what their new trainer had just said. "500 shots?" One – Takashi was his name - hissed with much incredulity. "Is she insane! We won't have any feeling in our arms any longer."

Maléna cleared her throat and held up a hand for quiet. "I'm not yet finished, guys, so lend me your ears for a few minutes and try not to stare."

Miyagi nudged Rukawa when he noticed the taller boy looking at Maléna. "Rukawa! Stop that or she'll target you again!"

"All of you will perform 500 shots a day AND..." she paused to make sure that everyone was listening. When she was certain she had their attention, she continued. "You'll have to do a hundred more once you miss ONE shot."

"WHAT!" Several newbies chorused. Kogure looked over at them in sympathy. This was something Anzai-sensei hadn't thought of to drill them in. It seemed that his granddaughter was a far more terrible trainer. Thankfully this was going to be his last year with Shohoku.

Maléna stuck two fingers in her mouth and delivered a shrill whistle and silenced the heated discussion going on among the team members. "Have you all finished discussing your options of whether to stay on this team or quit?"

When nobody answered, she nodded. "I suppose you're all going to stay. I think you want the challenge, freshmen." Looking over at Rukawa and the older members, she grinned. "And for the senior players, I'm going to up the ante a bit more. 800 shots a day and a hundred more for each miss. From within the paint until the three-point line"

Miyagi paled and he felt his heart sink to his stomach. He sucked at three-pointers. And she was giving them all only ONE WEEK to perfect their shooting. AND what's more, if he missed one, he'd have to add a hundred more? He looked over at Kogure, who was looking just as pale. Yasuda looked desperate and Kakuta looked like he wanted to make a run for it. Mitsui was just gaping at what he had just heard, aware that his endurance was a whole lot weaker than when he was a freshman.

Haruko's eyes widened when she heard that announcement. _'That's TORTURE! Kami-sama, they're probably going to die from making so many shots!'_

"I know what you're all thinking," Maléna said, looking at all of them with her arms akimbo. "But this is a challenge for all of you. I want you to be able to learn to feel your shots, be fluid in shooting from ANY angle. I want to strengthen your endurance.

"Because like it or not," she continued. "There are and will always be players better than any of you. Your stamina will determine how long you can go up against these types of players. They will make or break you. Remember that!"

She gestured to where Ayako had posted up a huge blank sheet of paper. "This is going to be your tally board, everyone. Each day, mark down how many shots you made. By the end of the week, I'll be putting you up in a more intense scrimmage game."

Rukawa looked at Maléna. "How many shots did you practice, Maléna-san?" he asked quietly, saying her name for the first time.

She looked him squarely in the eye and answered. "Three million. Ever since I started learning basketball three years ago."

Hanamichi looked stunned. He looked over at Anzai-sensei whose expression was unreadable from behind his glasses. _'Old man...I only did twenty thousand shots...Rukawa did a million...and Tall Girl did three million...I need to be better. I need to be the number one player in Japan...'_

"You want 800 shots, Tall Girl?" Hanamichi stepped forward. "I'll give you your 800 shots! This tensai will not fail!" He raised a fist at her to say that he was dead serious. However, Maléna had other plans for him and she shook her head.

"I have something else planned in mind for you, Sakuragi. For you and Rukawa, to be more precise," she replied.

All eyes suddenly shifted to Rukawa and Sakuragi, forgetting momentarily about the series of drills that Maléna had just assigned them. Whatever it was that she had planned for these two enemies had to be special since she had singled them out from the rest of the team. Akagi looked over at Anzai and raised his shoulders in a silent question to which the old man only returned a knowing smile and a nod of his head.

"I wonder what she's going to make Rukawa-kun and Sakuragi-kun do..." Kogure mumbled, frowning when Maléna turned away all of a sudden, depriving him of the chance to read any expression on her face for a hint of what she was planning.

_'She's not going to talk about her plan with any of us.'_ Realization dawned upon Kogure and he then smiled. _'Anzai-sensei, she seems to be like you in more ways than one...'_

* * *

From their place by the door, the Sakuragi Gundan gulped when they heard the new coach's announcement. Takamiya looked over at Yohei. "Shit man! Is this Maléna girl for real? They'll be all dead before the end of the week! Shohoku's going to lose its basketball team in one fell swoop!" 

"She may be really gorgeous and all, but it looks like she could blow a gasket any time too," Ookuso agreed, inching away slowly from the sliding doors. "I'd hate to be there when it happens."

Haruko turned to the Gundan, her pretty brown eyes filled with much alarm. "Do you think she'll get angry at any of them, minna?"

Yohei shook his head. "I wouldn't know, Haruko-chan," he replied. "She just arrived, but from the way she was teasing Hanamichi and the way she defended Anzai-sensei yesterday, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to this girl than what we know of now."

* * *

As the team began their scrimmage, Anzai turned to Maléna. "So what do you think of them, Léna-chan? Do you think these boys stand a chance for the Nationals?" 

Maléna smiled and nodded. "If they work hard enough, Jiiya, I just might see some of them in the NBA pretty soon." She jerked her chin to where another cloud of dust had formed with Rukawa and Hanamichi going head-to-head again. "Especially those two prodigies fighting in the corner."

* * *

"AAAAGGGHHH!" Mitsui groaned as he dragged himself to the showers. "Only the first day of practice with her and I'm ready to fall down and die!" 

Miyagi echoed his sentiments, chugging down the last of his water while weakly trying to mop his forehead. "I didn't think it would be THIS intense, but I think she's going to run us ragged before we ever get to actually PLAY..."

Hanamichi lay back on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. "Kuso...This tensai never thought he'd say this but Tall Girl is pure evil..." he gasped out, trying not to move to let his muscles relax.

"She could be charged for mass murder," Mitsui agreed. "Now I think I can believe that Anzai-sensei really WAS the White-Haired Devil in his university coaching days. His granddaughter seems to have inherited that trait."

"Oh, it's not THAT bad, guys," Kogure said, trying to comfort them but feeling quite stiff in his joints as well after the intense workout that Maléna had given them. "Think of it this way: we're getting good training from a professional basketball player. Right, Rukawa-kun?" He looked over to where Rukawa was seated on the benches, a towel draped over his head.

A snore was the only reply he got and he sweatdropped. "Ehehehe...I suppose he's tired, too..."

Akagi nodded, wiping his face with another towel. "We all are, Kogure... Haruko said the drill sounded a little harsh, but if this team really wants to win, we'll have to push ourselves a little bit more..."

They all agreed, albeit half-heartedly. Going to the Nationals would be good for the entire team, yes. But right now, suffering at the hands of a She-Devil wasn't.

* * *

When they finally got out of the showers, still feeling a little tired, they were surprised to find that Maléna had stayed behind and was currently practicing on her own. The look of concentration on her face was so intense that she never even noticed them watch her from the sidelines. 

Every move she made was fascinating. Time seemed to have stopped for the boys as they watched how she effortlessly bounced the ball under her legs, weaving across the court as if she was dancing to an invisible opponent. Suddenly, she lurched forward, pivoting on her left foot before executing an effortless fade-away. Their jaws dropped open when they noticed that she had closed her eyes as she released her shot, watching how the ball sailed smoothly in the air and swishing into the net.

_'Whoa!'_ Miyagi blinked, trying to follow her movements. _'She's freakin' FAST! And her cross-over looked like she was just WALKING! Amazing!I've never seen someone move like that before!'_ He watched as she jogged over to retrieve the ball, bouncing it on the floor as she approached the three-point line.

Maléna stepped to the right, dribbling the ball behind her before faking a pass to the left. She pivoted again, this time crouching low as if she were going to drive her way through to the basket. Beads of sweat were gathering on her forehead as she quickly pumped a fake before turning around and jumping in the air, releasing a three-pointer this time.

Mitsui turned to Akagi, his eyes wide. "How many fakes did she pull? Did you see?"

When the tall center shook his head, Mitsui turned back to watch. "Sugoi..." he whispered. "S-sugoi...she's so fast, Kogure! I didn't think she'd be that fast! I counted two fakes but I could have sworn she did a third one!"

"She pumped four fakes," came Rukawa's quiet reply. When they turned to him, they noticed how intently he was watching her, his keen eyes observing the way she moved. "She's just playing around, sempai..."

Kogure swallowed. "You think so, Rukawa-kun?" He turned back to watch as Maléna retrieved the ball for the third time, dashing one hand across her forehead to wipe the sweat away as she bounced the ball in the other. _'I wonder how she plays for real, then...'_

Suddenly, Maléna sprinted forward. The soles of her shoes pounded on the floor in time to the dribbling of the basketball. And then she went airborne, leaping higher than they had ever seen a female basketball player leap. Hanamichi looked stunned when she slammed the ball into the hoop, hanging onto the rim for a few seconds before releasing her hold and landing on the wooden floor with a soft thud. Her shoulders rose and fell with her heavy breathing as she closed her eyes and savored the smell of the newly polished floors.

She shook her head, spraying droplets of sweat everywhere before reaching up to redo her ponytail that was now messy from her earlier exercise. The sound of applause broke her reverie and she turned around to find the six boys on the sidelines all staring at her with looks akin to awe.

Mitsui was the first one to compliment her. "That was the shit, Maléna-san! You jumped so amazingly high!"

She let out a relieved laugh and shook her head in amusement. "So much for my alone time. I never thought I'd be gaining an audience for a minor workout," she quipped.

Miyagi voiced out his disagreement. "I think gaining a fan is more like it." He strode over to her and handed her a fresh towel. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Miyagi waved his hand in the air. "Make cross-overs look so damned easy! That and the fact that you're fast!"

Maléna smiled, draping the towel around her neck. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Miyagi, but I'm not nearly as fast as our REAL point guard, Kaylie. Compared to her, I'm a cow."

"If that's the case, I didn't know cows were graceful in jumping either," Mitsui remarked. He gestured to Hanamichi. "This guy doesn't have your finesse."

"HEY!"

Akagi shushed the rebounder's squawk of resentment with another punch to the head. "Don't object to the truth, baka!"

"Gori, my vertical's fine the way it is!"

Maléna was smiling. "Thanks for the compliments, guys. But I have no doubt you're all pretty talented too. Jiiya sent me several tapes of your games. I'm amazed at the sensational progress in all of you."

Even shy Kogure had to blush at the earnest answer that she gave them. It wasn't everyday that people would suddenly praise the team with such honesty as she had shown just now. He knew he should have been feeling a little bit hostile towards Maléna, especially after the monster of a workout she had put them through a few hours ago, but the way she was behaving so casually now was so disarming that he had to admit it would be particularly difficult to stay angry with her for very long.

"So are you guys about to head home just yet?" Maléna's voice broke through their trance as she looked at them. Mitsui wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but the way she asked, it almost seemed that she was hoping they would say they weren't...

"Well, we were going to head home right after cleaning up, but then we just had to stay and watch," the scarred teenager replied, smiling. "I'd love to ask you to teach us more about moves like that. It'd really up our game by more than a notch if you did."

Miyagi agreed. "For sure! I'll be able to beat all the point guards in Japan with no problem whatsoever!"

Maléna nodded, her pretty features lighting up. "If you want, we can start with a few technical discussions over pizza, my treat. Just give me ten minutes to change and we'll be on our way."

She then dashed off to the locker rooms, leaving them with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

* * *

Hanamichi turned to Kogure. "You're seriously going to let Tall Girl poison us, Megane-kun?" He demanded, his brown eyes wide. 

Kogure laughed. "Oh Sakuragi-kun, she means you no harm. And besides, your stomach's been complaining since a while back."

Akagi nodded. "Yeah, we all heard it. I'm pretty sure Maléna-san did, too, except she was just being discreet about it."

"Do'aho," Rukawa mumbled, turning away when the redhead growled.

"Teme! The things I could kill you with, you stupid Kitsune. You just wait," Hanamichi warned, still growling. Rukawa pointedly ignored him.

* * *

When Maléna came out, she was dressed in black bootcut jeans that sat low at her waist. She had replaced her trainers for navy blue Chuck Taylors and she wore a white racerback top that showed off her toned back and shoulders. Her hair was still swept up in a ponytail but she looked more refreshed this time. Her cheeks were flushed pink from running across the court with her duffel bag on her shoulder. 

She rushed over to them, heaving her bag on her shoulder. "Okay," she declared. "I'm ready to go. Let's lock the place up!"

Rukawa silently reached over to carry her bag, a move that surprised everyone, including her. For a few minutes she stared at him, wondering what exactly had transpired and then she broke into a grin.

"That's very sweet of you, Rukawa. Thanks!"

"Dou itashimashite."

They walked out of the gym, turning the lights off and closing the doors behind them. As the walked through the deserted school grounds, Hanamichi's stomach suddenly rumbled.

"I heard that, Red."

"Kuso!"

* * *

"So do you have any plans for college, Maléna-san?" Kogure asked over dinner. Everyone else listened intently while chewing on their pizza. Maléna hemmed and hawed, chewing absently on her pizza before she shrugged. 

"I don't really know what I'm going to do for college yet," she replied thoughtfully. "Heck, I don't even know what college I want to get into. My basketball commitments seem to keep piling up. I'm not even sure if I can go to my own prom."

Mitsui scoffed in mild disbelief. "Oh come on, a pretty girl like you should get a lot of dates!"

The young girl shook her head. "Actually, I barely get any dates. Because I'm taller than a lot of guys." She grinned helplessly. "It can't be helped I guess. Everyone in my family's tall."

She picked at her food, her eyes suddenly softening. That change didn't go unnoticed by anyone and they looked at her. She seemed to be absorbed in thought all of a sudden and her eyes took on a softer shade of gray-green.

"Hey, Tall Girl, are you okay?" Hanamichi asked, concern etched on his face as he felt her forehead. As soon as he did so, she snapped up and laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm fine, Sakuragi...it's just that I was thinking that you remind me of my younger brother." She brought out her wallet and opened it, taking a single picture.

The picture she took out showed her with three other guys, two of which were taller than her. She passed it around to them and watched them gawk at how tall the other guys in the picture were.

One wore glasses and had dark brown hair combed to the side. He was dressed in a charcoal black suit with a silver tie resting on his crisp, white shirt. His eyes were the same intense green as Maléna's, but they lacked the inner warmth that hers radiated.

The second young man was also as tall as the first but his dark brown hair was longer and tied back in a neat ponytail. Compared to the first man, he was dressed simply in a plain white shirt, faded blue jeans and black motorcycle boots and he had the same easy-going smile as Maléna's. His slate-gray eyes twinkled with a certain mischief that was also apparent in the way he put a hand on Maléna's head.

The third one stood at the same height as Maléna in the picture and he was the only one making a face at the camera. Among all of them, he looked startlingly alike with Maléna, having the same messy red hair and gray-green eyes. A band of freckles dusted his nose but he had the same porcelain complexion as his sister, as well as the same elegant nose and smiling mouth.

"Hey, Gori! This guy with glasses looks like he's as tall as you!" Hanamichi pointed out, peering closely at the photograph. "He looks pretty serious, huh?"

"That would be Kennichi, my eldest brother," Maléna supplied. "And he's ALWAYS serious. He doesn't even understand what a joke is. But he's been a very good brother to me. He's going to be married soon after he graduates from med school, but the engagement's been put on hold. His fiancée is also taking up medicine and they're not graduating together, so he has to wait a bit longer."

Kogure grinned. "He looks like he's very overprotective of you, he even has a hand on your shoulder."

Miyagi laughed as he looked over Kogure's shoulder. "I'm sure he's the reason why Maléna can't get a lot of dates. He probably scares everyone off. Like Akagi-sempai here."

"Stuff it, Miyagi."

"Don't lie about doing the 'protective older brother' bit with Haruko-chan, sempai."

"I'm not overprotective!" Akagi replied hotly, his countenance taking on Gorilla form. "Haruko's old enough to take care of herself! I don't need to watch out for her anymore!"

"So I have a chance with Haruko-chan, Gori?" Hanamichi grinned. Akagi glared at him horribly.

"Don't even think about it."

"How about a banana as a peace offering? You're still not sore about your little accident, are you?"

"Er...who's the one with the ponytail, Maléna-san?" Kogure asked, trying to distract Akagi from pummeling Hanamichi.

Mitsui quickly caught on to Kogure and nodded. "Yeah, is he also your brother? He looks like a biker dude, with the long ponytail and all."

Maléna laughed as they goggled at the different appearances of her brothers. "Yes, Mitsui, he's my second older brother, Joaquin Luis. He's taking up Computer Engineering and he's a musician. He's a bit of a ladies' man, so if you have girlfriends, please keep them far away from him. He's a pretty smooth operator sometimes."

"He looks like Aya-chan's type," Miyagi remarked a little bitterly. Everyone except Kogure and Maléna rolled their eyes.

"She's not yet your girlfriend, Ryochin," Hanamichi pointed out. "You haven't even asked her what HER type is!"

"For once, this do'aho shows some sense," Mitsui snickered, even as his remark earned a glare from both Hanamichi and Miyagi.

"What about this other guy with the red hair?" Rukawa asked quietly, looking closely at the picture. "He looks like your twin."

She shook her head. "Nope, Neil is two years younger than me. But he looks quite like me, huh? People always say that we should have just been born twins to save Okaa-san the trouble. He's the basketball fanatic in the family. He loves the game more than I do, if you can believe that..."

Rukawa nodded, absently fingering the photograph. Maléna looked younger in the picture, and there was something...different in the way she smiled in it. She was wearing a sleeveless summer dress in a forest green color that ended just below her knees. Her sandals were dangling by their straps in one hand as she stood barefoot on the grass, leaning in to put her head on her younger brother's shoulder. Her hair was in a loose braid, stray wisps of red blowing in front of her face and Rukawa realized that he preferred her in a dress than in jeans, noting the slim curves of her ankles and calves. She looked much more like a real person...

Mitsui noticed that Rukawa had been holding on to the picture for a little too long before giving it back to Maléna and he nudged Miyagi. He then jerked his head to the side, motioning for Miyagi to take a look at what their fox-eyed teammate was doing. Realization dawned on Miyagi and he frantically wrote on his napkin, passing it to Mitsui under the table.

_'Mitsui, he's been staring at her for quite some time already.'_

Mitsui read the note and scribbled something before passing it back to the point guard.

_'I fucking KNOW that, baka! What I mean is, this is the first time the ice block's been staring at a GIRL! Pass this note to Akagi and Kogure!'_

Miyagi read the note, wrote something else and then quickly passed the napkin to Akagi who gave them a questioning look before unfolding the napkin and reading what had been written.

_'You guys better watch out. Rukawa's probably a virgin when it comes to girls so he might not know how to act around Sensei's granddaughter.'_

Akagi's eyes crossed as he facepalmed in annoyance. 'You're a bunch of kids.' he mouthed to Mitsui and Miyagi, throwing them a disgusted look before writing a note of his own and passing it back to Miyagi.

_'Stop thinking about stuff like that! You've been hanging around Sakuragi too much and now you're up to no good! Quit it!'_

Maléna noticed they had suddenly gotten quiet and she gave them a weird look. "Are you guys okay?" She asked, confused at their sudden silence.

Miyagi laughed sheepishly, waving his hands in front of him. "Ah, hehehe...we're up to no g --" A sharp jab in the ribs from Mitsui cut him off and he glared before rectifying his near miss. "That is, we're doing good over here, Maléna, no need to worry."

She looked unconvinced as she stared at them but she shrugged. "Okay then, if you say so." Glancing down at her watch, she sighed and smiled apologetically at them.

"I guess I kept you guys quite a bit. It's already 9 and I'm sure your families are worried about you." She gathered up her things, motioning for the waitress to collect their bill after fishing out a credit card from her wallet. "And I have to go on home. It's about five blocks from here, and I don't want Jiiya to worry..."

Hanamichi laughed. "No need to worry, Tall Girl! This tensai doesn't have a curfew! If you want, I can escort you home!"

The way that he stood up so gallantly struck a chord in her heart and Maléna's smile softened.

"Thank you, Sakuragi...I'd really like that."

* * *

After bidding Maléna goodbye, each of them went their separate ways. Miyagi and Kogure went off in one direction, wrapping their jackets tighter around each other as the cold started to set in. 

"What were you and Mitsui trying to hide from Maléna?" the bespectacled boy asked. His shorter companion chuckled.

"Sempai, I think our resident Ice Block is going to thaw out soon enough..."

Kogure looked baffled.

"Miyagi, whatever do you mean?"

"Oh, it'll become obvious pretty soon. You'll see..."

...to be continued...


End file.
